October 23, 2012 - The Experimental Aircraft
Association (EAA) CEO, Rod Hightower on Monday
resigned "effective immediately", directly after
a Board of Directors meeting during which former
Cessna CEO Jack J. Pelton was elected Chairman
of the Board of Directors. EAA is overseen by a
Chairman, a President, a CEO and a Board of
Directors.

Back in 2010, 2010, it was announced that Rod
Hightower would succeed Tom Poberezny as
President of the organization, effective
September 2010. Hightower indicated his
resignation is a result of wanting to spend more
time with his family. "Maura and I have five
children ranging in age from pre-school to
college freshman," Hightower said.

"When I accepted the position two years ago I
believed that we could as a family relocate to
the Oshkosh area. But our family and school
involvement have increased as our children
advance in the schools they, and we as their
parents, love. It would simply be too great a
hardship on my family to move them to the
Oshkosh area." said Hightower. Hightower will
relocate from Oshkosh to St. Louis.

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) is
an international organization of aviation
enthusiasts based in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Since
its inception it has grown internationally with
over 160,000 members and about 1,000 chapters
worldwide.

Pelton, retired as Chairman, president and CEO
of Cessna Aircraft on May 2, 2011, ironically
his separation was "effective immediately" and
on a Monday. Pelton also worked at Douglas
Aircraft for over 20 years. "I will be working
closely with the EAA Board of Directors to
ensure a seamless transition to a new leader,"
Pelton said. "The directors of EAA and I thank
Rod for his service. We understand how difficult
it is to relocate a family of school-age
children."

When Pelton was at Cessna, it was revealed that
Pelton claimed he had a bachelor and a master
degree in aerospace engineering, but it tuned
out the degrees received were through a diploma
mill. Embarrassed by the publicity, Cessna’s
parent company, Textron released a statement
proclaiming that Pelton was chosen for his
30-year-long career in leadership and not for
his faked diplomas.

"EAA, as all of aviation, faces many challenges with the
continuing economic slump and the decrease in personal
aviation participation. As an association we must remain
focused on the original mission of our founder, Paul H.
Poberezny, to welcome all members no matter what they
fly, celebrate our volunteers, and treat our employees
fairly," Pelton added.